Hey Gang,

Waiting on parts to replace my cam and the cam tensioner unit. A gotta question for a couple remaining parts.

A little background...04 Fat Boy, 95ci, High Comp (10:1) cast pistons, 251 cam (replacing with Andrews 55N cams), heavy duty valve springs, adj pushrods, SE ICM.

I had SE lifters (tappets) installed in the above build with the above mods, done when the bike was new. The roller wheels on the lifters disintegrated and destroyed my cams...luckily no other damage. My indy said there were noted problems with these lifters.

Can you guys recommend some durable lifters for this cam job? I've heard about the new HD "B" lifters. Should I go with these lifters or some aftermarket alternative? What about the current SE lifters/tappets....any good? My indy said the current SE lifters are fine but not necessarily needed for this job. He said 'stock' lifters will do just fine. Are the current stock lifters the "B" lifter? Since HD SE lifters got me into this trouble in the first place, I just want to be sure that we install a good, proven lifter at this point. I don't know if this matters but the lift on my old 251 cams was .579.....the lift on the Andrews 55N cams is .550. Durations are about the same.

Also, I've read its a good idea to replace the inner cam bearing with a Torrington 148B. Is this the best way to go or is there another bearing alternative?. Where can I purchase this bearing?

Lastly....what is a Baisley Spring? Is this something I need for my cam job?

Appreciate the help...
Regards

 

Stock harley B lifters a great, so are Jims Powerglide lifters, either will do the job fine. Stay away from "SE" products, mostly overpriced rebadged parts and alot of what Screamin Eagle offers is junk.

 

I also have to ask, why the TW55? Are you looking for a soft bottom end and just midrange power? Better choices out there for street riding.........

THe Torrington B148's are the way to go.

The Baisley spring is just a oil valve bypass spring. Good cheap insurance to make sure the oil and oil pressure is where it needs to be.

 

GunMetal,

Thanks for your many replies to my questions the past few weeks.

Overall, was I happy with the performance of the 251 cams I had except for the loud tapping. My new indy says my valve train is noisy...he insists better pushrod adjustment/set-up will make the bike run quieter and better.

I understand what your saying about the cam. We were looking for a cam with approximately the same duration (but less lift) than the 251 I had. See specs on the 3 cams below.

251 cam: lift i/e = .579; Duration = 244/250; overlap 32
54N: lift i/e = .555; Duration = 238/238; overlap 31
55N: lift i/e = .550; Duration = 248/252; overlap 42

I was considering both the Andrews 54N (2200-5600 rpm) or the 55N (2600 - 6200) cams. Initially I was leaning toward the 54N but I already have the 'high-lift' valve springs. Andrews website says the 54N uses 'stock' springs so I wasn't sure if I could use the 54N. I like that the 54N rpm range is a little lower, but the 55N seemed a closer match to the 251 for duration. I need to use Andrews N-cams because I will be installing the current 07-09 cam chain tension system (smaller inner cam bore/larger outer cam bore for my bike). Also, my indy asked if my valves were shimmed when the 251 and heavy springs were installed. I told him I did not know. This winter, I will probably have him check if shimming is needed and do some porting on the heads as well. Both the 54N and 55N can benefit from porting. Andrews said they preferred the 54N but that either cam will work well in my bike.

I don't have a tach so I can't say what my usual or max RPMs are. I'm not a dragstrip guy but I do want good performance...especially when passing with 2-up and a load. I've never hit the rev limiter but I don't baby it either. My riding style is either countryside cruising (40-65 mph); or highway (50-75 mph); occasional trips can be 2-up with another 60lbs of gear (400 lbs total). I never noticed any ******* in the low rpms even with 2-up and gear. I did notice when riding with stock 88s that I would sometimes have to downshift to 4th to avoid lugging when they were running relatively low RPMs in fifth gear. I attributed this to the 251 cams. The mid-range punch from the 251 cams was very nice...lots of go for passing...

I appreciate any advice on cams you may have. I mail-ordered my parts last Friday. The vendor holds shippment until all parts are in. They will need to order the cams from Andrews. I may have time to change my cam choice if the 55N is not the cam I should be using.

Thanks
Regards

 

I would definetly take the Andrews 54N's over the 55's, much better punch down low and the midrange will still be just as strong. The intake closing point is much better suited for street/heavy 2 up riding and will work fine with your current springs. The intake closing point spec on the cam(which you didnt list but its about 40 degrees roughly)is one of the most important specs to consider and will give you a rough idea where your powerband will be. Cams with an intake closing point of around 35-45 degrees with an overlap between 30-40 are best suited for good street performance and put the powerband down low through the midrange right where you want it.

That being said I would go with the 54's without doubt or question.

 

GunMetal,

Thanks for the specs and info. I appreciate you looking into the numbers.

The 55N works at 2600-6200 RPM, and the 54N works at 2200-5600 RPM. Since I don't have a tach, can you relate RPM to speed for me? With my 5-speed tranny, what would be my approximate speed at 2600 RPM in 4th gear? ....in 5th gear? I think this would help me fully appreciate when these cams kick in...

Thanks again.
Regards

 

The powerband given is only part of the picture. The 54N will hit harder with more power down low and through the midrange than the 55N will where both cams powerbands overlap. The 54N is just a better cam for your setup. Go to http://www.nightrider.com if you want to get specifics on what your speed will be at the specific tach points. I'm telling you this is a no brainer, the 54N is the one to get if you only have these 2 cams to choose from.

 

I run Crane 10530 lifters for a small block Chevy. A call to Crane confirmed that they are the exact same lifter as the one that they market for a HD, except with a different part number, and at a lot less cost.